A Dwelling Place for God

"A Six-Step Cycle"
    1. Evangelism
        2. Worship
            3. Fellowship
                4. Discipleship
                    5. Ministry
                        6. Mission

If the Vision is a clear picture of who we are becoming, and our Mission is the key priorities that keep us moving forward in that direction, then our Strategy is the way that we put together the various elements of our ministry so as to maximize our mission effectiveness.

there will be a lot of noise and smoke, but the engine won't drive anything forward! Our Strategy helps us to align the six elements of our ministry so that the pistons are firing in proper sequence and are attached to the crankshaft. When our Strategy fits our Mission and Vision and we start firing on all cylinders, God can do amazing things in the lives of his people!

The bottom line of our ministry is people. Everything we do ultimately is about serving a God who is working through Grace, Love, and Power to change people's hearts and lives for the better. The following six categories not only encompass the spectrum of our ministry as a congregation, but they are strategically aligned to be more effective at facilitating changed lives. Notice the way they fit together to help move people through a process of transformation:

1. Evangelism - We begin to share our faith by building authentic relationships with unchurched people, living out our faith with them, and inviting them to come with us to Worship. . .
2. Worship -As these unchurched friends come to a welcoming worship service where they can experience a life-changing encounter with God, they begin a process of coming to faith and in this community they get a taste of spiritual Fellowship . . .
3. Fellowship - As these attendees make a faith commitment and decide to join the church, they are invited into Grow Groups and other settings where they start to build spiritual relationships, and they begin the process of Discipleship . . .
4. Discipleship - As these new Christians are helped in their spiritual growth through study of the Bible and the practice of spiritual disciplines, they discover that God has given them spiritual gifts and they develop a growing desire to exercise these gifts in Ministry . . .
5. Ministry - As these growing members gain a clearer understanding of their unique gifts, talents, and passions, they begin to find where they can most effectively serve within the ministry of our church and then start to reach out to those beyond the walls of the church through Mission . . .
6. Mission - As these church leaders mature spiritually and are trained in the effective use of their spiritual gifts for mission, they begin to make a real difference in the live of those outside the church, which becomes a perfect opportunity for Evangelism . . . and the cycle goes on!

Reflection Questions

1.	Do you agree that it is important to align the elements of our ministry in a strategic way? Why/why not?
2.	Do you feel these six categories adequately encompass the whole ministry of our church? Are there other terms you would prefer? Is anything missing?
3.	Do you think the strategic ordering of these six steps can be effective in helping people move through a process of spiritual transformation? Explain.
4.	What do you think will be the biggest challenge in making a strategy like this work?

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